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Riding down the Coast for days, one has many hours to think & plan. But more importantly as a coach, you have time to observe – many hours – a handful of athletes. This got me thinking about an article I recently read. It talked about what motivates people in different business environments. Observing the different athletes on the coast, having some longer discussions with them, combined with knowing how they race, left me with the following:

Do you race to win? Or not to lose?

This might seem like a loaded question (and it is) – many may think one approach is better than the other. Instead think of it this as a question that revolves around motivation, and understanding how there are two types of motivation.

Motivation is defined in many circles as approaching pleasure and avoiding pain. If you look at motivation like this, what type of motivation works for you?

The first type is the one we are most familiar with: Charging opportunities. With this it is about the pleasure of making progress, advancing, making significant gains. The pain lies in the failure to do these things: failure to advance – remain stagnant – no progress.

The second type of motivation (and one we often overlook) is maintaining a satisfactory state, one that we are ok & pleased with. The pleasure here revolves around the peace of mind & security this creates, the satisfaction. The pain lies in a failure to remain here – or to make mistakes, to lose this state of satisfaction/peace of mind, being at peace.

Therefore – back to the question: do you race to win (charge opportunities, push the envelope) or do you race NOT to lose…the placing you hold, the gains you’ve made in training and past racing.

Your athletic motivation type might be very different from your work one, or your family/personal life one…Do you know what you feel most ocomfortable with in racing? Understanding this motivation allows you to prepare for a better outcome. How do we together approach the pleasure of racing and avoid the pain in racing…? Knowing this helps us manage your race day a lot more effectively.

I can use myself as a good example. As a swimmer off the front in most races, and specializing in long distance events, it is ALL about preventing my day, my result that I have envisioned and prepared for in my mind, from slipping away. So I race not to lose since I am off the front. To maintain where I am, to be at peace with a solid effort, but not risk too much, maintain my day, and allow fitness and experience to play out. As I get fitter, the time at the end of this ‘maintaining day’ also got faster. I prevented things from going wrong. Or, as so many of you have heard me write and say: I didn’t slow down.

I coach plenty of athletes that are not like this. They enjoy throwing caution to the wind a bit, to charge oppportunities, like the risk they take to blow up because it might just be enough to get them an unknown new result, gain, progress & accomplishment. They are willing to risk a lot to gain a lot.

Are you avoiding losses? Or looking to make gains?

Both have the same PERSONAL result. A race is successful as YOU define it. Having raced well, not made mistakes, is often all you need to have an amazing PR. Many of you have heard me say you have a certain time ‘in you’ by just racing steady, and this time is often a LOT faster than you have been racing…. Others have heard me say its about breaking though to the other side, to suffer and push, to find out what you are capable of. A PR is also waiting for you because you went after it, charged the course when it called for it, risked a lot and broke through to a new PR…

Both results feel the same: you achieved your goals either by avoiding errors, or by charging ahead. Both feel good because success is defined by reaching your goals.

We all have a more dominant type of motivation in us. Therefore the coaching question becomes are you not risking ENOUGH or are your risking TOO MUCH? Being too preventative (not losing) might not be fast enough. Being too promotive (Charging opportunities) might cause unnecessary risks. Balancing these two motivations according to YOUR needs is part of this thought process.

Do you race to win? Or not to lose?

Qualifier: We all know that coaching masters athletes (most of you) is different than coaching grade school, high school or college athletes (they all must attend or are told to train). It is surely different than coaching professionals! Therefore when talking about motivation (and most of my coaching approach), I try to relate everything I observe to the masters athlete: The athlete that competes & participates in this sport by choice, for lifestyle and health purposes. The masters athlete, while still very serious (sometimes too serious!) and motivated, still has another career, family or life responsibilities to deal with other than sports. AND the masters athlete has often not had dramatic athletic success earlier in their lives. Therefore my approach and discussions come from a different perspective than those doing this for a living, or those that are required to participate.

This is the FINAL group email. Most of you that have said you are interested in joining have already signed up – so we are almost there. Just wanted to let you all know that there will no more bigger email going out other than to the participants.

So far we are 13 riders with about 8 on the fence. We have all levels, so no worries of being intimidated. We also have a few riders that will be taking advantage of SAG since they are recovering from injury or need to watch their mileage.

There have been some inquiries about riding on to LA/Santa Monica – we can do this too based on your demand/needs. I can help you with the route this last day, and possibly join you. This does NOT change that the main SAG Monkey bus is driving home on Sunday afternoon to get most of you home.

SO, please email if you plan to join (if you haven’t already). We want to start organizing hotels for you, meals and some fun gear…

We have a solid group heading down the Coast for 3 days on May 17, 18, 19. Here is another email reminder/check in to join us if you like. All the details are below in either this email or previous posted email.

DEPART: Friday morning, May 17 from SF/Southern Marin. 130 miles to Marina, CA, just outside of Monterey.

DAY 2: Marina to Morro Bay….125 miles of beauty along the Big Sur coast.

Day 3: Morro Bay to Santa Barbara…120 miles of clean up to close out a good coast ride.

Day 3 PM – we head home: Sunday pm, May 19, we are back in the Bay Area. For your planning: we are usually done around 3:30 on this 3rd day.

Dinner is provided on night 1 and 2 (Natural Cafe on way home night 3). SAG Monkey will be providing support on the rides and during our chill recovery time.

Bikes can be transported back for you. We are also providing the return trip in the pricing as the Monkey 2 has room for 16.

Pricing is about $175 per day which includes SAG support, food and trip home. As many of you know I break out the costs if you are not needing a trip home, or joining partial days etc.

We are capping this ride at 14 riders. There will be some transition runs too for those interested. Lastly – for those coming into town: I can organize a swim on Friday morning, as well as Thursday pm.

We are getting close to the final emails! As usual – all the emails I have sent out so far are attached below – this way all the info remains on this email.

In 5 weeks we will be leaving down the Coast. I have heard from MOST of you on confirmation as well as return plans etc. There are still A LOT of you I have not heard from.

We are 65 people so far that have said they want to join. We are 38 confirmed on their return plans.

1) I need to know if you are riding to Santa Barbara or Santa Monica. Those of you NOT CONFIRMED or that have not told me where they are riding to are listed below: Your name means I don’t know if you are coming.

2) Deposits are due Jan 4th. $100 per head. Simple. PayPal me (chrishauth@mac.com) but be certain that it is a private transaction, otherwise I will charge you for the fees they charge. Check in the mail (250 Camoni Alto – Suite 140 – Mill Valley CA 949410 – give me $$ when you see me…no credit card for the deposit…You can pay the balance of the Coast Ride after with CC for sure, but not deposits (too many fees)..

NO DEPOSIT = NO FOOD – NO SAG – NO RIDE

3) Many of you are flying in: we are coordinating some airport runs. Try to be midday or normal arrival hours for this. Otherwise there is an easy airporter from SFO to Mill Valley ($20) – You can ship your bike to our local bike shop(s) or our office – address is listed with the check address above.

4) I will organize a group dinner for Friday pm, 6pm, in Mill Valley for all of us. Join by sending me an email.

Just a simple heads up and check in: Coast Ride 2013 is coming up soon. Most of you are quite familiar with one of the most beautiful, exciting and challenging events we do all year. But the memories last all the way until the next Coast Ride.

We are on the road a 4th day into Santa Monica, so please know you need a reservation on night 3.

DATES: Push off the morning of April 26, return back to Bay Area on Sunday evening April 29.

We will again have minivans rented for the ride home from SM – since that 4th day is shorter, we will be home early Sunday evening. Bikes go in the SAG Monkey trailer.

Again: SAG Monkey will be supporting us, so food is covered on the 3 afternoons/evenings on the road. They will also have mechanics and supplies along. All we do is divide the expenses of SAG and group expenses by the number of riders – and done!

I will surely be riding this Cost Ride if you are curious.

All of you on this email are familiar with the Coast Ride, so details are not needed to the group. Please email me with any questions.

For now: PLEASE let me know if you are still locked in for attendance.

The Coast Ride is Thursday Sept. 9 through Saturday Sept. 11. For Folks racing Kona in October: I can’t stress the importance of getting in these 365 miles in 3 days with 40 minute runs off the bike each day!

There is no cost: just the hotel rooms you want (or split) – and the van costs for the ride home – and a contribution to the SAG van driver(s)

Hotels are: Holiday Inn Express In Marina, CA – Ascott Inn in Morro Bay – and I will organize a few rooms at the Pacific Suites in Santa Barbara so we can shower up and get home. MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS NOW – I WILL NOT BE DOING FOR YOU.

I have a few minivans rented for the return trip. This cost we split by people driving home in vans with bikes of course too.

Massage: if you can convince Paul to give you a massage – more power to you!

SAG: we will have 2 cars driving to the hotels as needed. Expectations should be clear that we put bags in the vans/cars in the morning at hotel, and see the bags again at night at the hotel. No plans for little change of clothes or drink or a chocolate chip cookie with milk at mile 90….

We meet andPUSH from Mill Valley at 8am on Thursday, Sept. 9. Rolling by the GGB at 8:45am….and into Pacifica Surf Spot at 9:45am…

Bags for SAG need to be dropped off at our office in Mill Valley by Wed. afternoon or if you are flying in let me know so I can make reservations for hotel here in Mill Valley.